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Brooke schools placed on lockdown

FOLLANSBEE — Officials with Brooke County Schools placed several buildings on lockdown on Monday after a man allegedly escaped a deputy’s cruiser near the schools shortly after being arrested for an outstanding warrant.

Deputies with the Brooke County Sheriff’s Department arrested Dustin Wayne Parsons after attempting to serve a warrant on someone else. In the process, they discovered that Parsons, 24, was wanted on a felony in Wood County.

But after taking Parsons into custody, the deputy left him handcuffed in the back of a cruiser so the deputy could speak with another deputy still inside the apartment at 490 Burgoyne Ave., according to a statement from the sheriff’s department. Parsons allegedly discovered the center cage had a sliding window that had been left open, and he crawled through the window and escaped the vehicle.

Deputies chased him into a wooded area but lost him, according to reports. While they and members from other law enforcement agencies searched for Parsons, school officials placed several buildings on lockdown, including Brooke Intermediate North, Brooke Primary North, Brooke Middle School and Brooke High School.

With the help of Follansbee Police, Wellsburg K-9 and Weirton K-9 units, law deputies were able to find Parsons and take him back into custody. Schools came off lockdown shortly thereafter, the sheriff’s department said.

Parsons was taken to Northern Regional Jail, where he remained Monday in lieu of $17,500 bond. In addition to the charge out of Wood County, he faces charges in Brooke County of felony escape, fleeing on foot and obstructing an officer.

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